My Innocence
by Dashi
Summary: Love story featuring Dende and my own fanfiction character Ana. Yes, I know that Dende is a namekian and doesn't have gender in general but what makes you think that he wouldn't fall in love? Not for fanfiction character haters.
1. I just want to sit and stare at you

**My innocence**

**Part I : I just want to sit and stare at you**

Dende tried to hear the birds sing to the bright morning, but it was no use. He was too high above to hear such sounds. He couldn't enjoy them, but the thing he would enjoy as the bright, yet distant glitter of the sun itself. The light made him raise his hand to cover his eyes with a fragile little shadow.

Though there was nothing to see.

Just clouds to the eternity - maybe even more.

So he just dropped his sight towards his knees - covered with cheap, white robe that tickled his greenish skin lightly. The very same kind that he used to wear when he had been a child. At least in the standards of this little world that he was supposed to guard with his might - and he felt that there was nothing in him to be called with such a name. There was no strenght in him, like there was in his tribe brother Piccolo.

And that made him wonder whatever was it that made him so special.

Then all the sudden the stream of his thoughts was cut.

A little sound made him raise his head all the sudden.

Maybe he even dropped a little gasp from his lips.

He turned his sight around, meeting the little coffee table next to him, and an elegant, thin line of shadow, that had been layed on it. Ana was standing next to him, holding a teapot in her hands- and a gentle smile on her lips, that carefully bended her voice to a silent couple of words.

"Morning mr. Dende."

The words just echoed in Dende's head for a while. They were the very first ones for him to hear that very day. And he felt like they were the first ones for him to hear for an eternity.

And he blushed a little bit, as he realized he hadn't answered.

At least not just yet.

"M-morning Ana," he answered then, with a weak voice that he was embarrased to show as he felt so insecure back then - there was simply nothing in him, that he would've been proud of.

But still, Ana, the purple skinned wonder just smiled at him with the finest and fairest of gestures that there had ever been in Dende's namekian life so far.

"Would you care for some tea?" she asked with a simple tone.

And in her voice, Dende could hear the calm itself. The very tone, that told every flaw in him was forgiven, and he shyly smiled back, trying to cover his face with a final gaze to the edge of blue in the sky. Then he slowly turned his sight back and said with smiling eyes:

"Why -- ofcourse."

In the next moment he just let his little sight follow the greenish tea down to the white cup that was shaped like half of a moon. And the tea - it smelled rather nice: like the warmth during the gray winter time of the skies. The very same warmth that was glowing trough Ana's perky, tender expression as she carefully put down the teapot, and did a little bow towards her master.

But there wasn't a moment in the time of existence that Dende would've considered her as his servant. Not because of the fact that she had once been superior to him - a kai, let us say. But because of the fact that no matter what was the situation, there was always warmth to be found on her face. Warmth for him - warmth for Dende. Insecure little thing that people of earth addressed as their _God_ from time to time.

And as Ana slowly turned to leave the garden, Dende cleared his throat to the pressing silence with a little blush on his cheeks and said silently:

"Would you perhaps -- like to join me?" he asked.

And Ana stopped, turned her smile towards him again and nodded with a gentle little movement of her head. A gesture that made her white moonhawk bend to the little whisper of the wind, that blew trhough the garden of Dende's lookout.

She sat down, stroking the wrinkles on her purple tunic and crossed her legs, grabbing a cup for herself. And she kept the silence around her, as she kept Dende's sight that was discovering new features within the short and fragile body - covered with the finest of kai fabrics ever known. Something that Dende couldn't even imagine touching. And yet he was to be the master in this lookout.

So there was no conversation in a while. Dende was too insecure to start one, yet it seemed like Ana was most likely waiting for him to say something. She just sat still, holding her tea cup on her cold finger tips, purple eyes gazing to the eternity of the skies. But she didn't seem like she was bothered since her smile just didn't seem to wear all.

Dende drank his tea slowly, so he could avoid the possible words coming from him.

But Ana was the one to start talking at that time.

"So, is there anything specific you would like me to take care of today, mr. Dende?"

she asked him, turning her eyes slowly towards the young namekian face on her left.

Dende took the very last drink of tea from his cup and slowly let the empty cup within his hand drop towards his knees. Then he shily moved his sight to meet with Ana's again and he said - with a little doubt in his voice:

"Well, umh, I guess not, since mr. Popo will take care of the garden as usual."

He felt a little bit dumb after saying such a thing. Ofcourse Ana knew it - after all, she had already stayed in the lookout for a couple of weeks. But for Dende's surprise, there was no words - just a gentle little nod, as Ana raised her teacup to her lips. She drank her tea, enjoining the sweet taste and put the empty cup on the little table between her and his young master, who just followed her movements carefully, with a little curiously look in his eyes.

"Would you like me to fill that for you?" he could hear his servant ask all the sudden.

And as Dende rose his sight again, he could see her eyes reaching for his teacup with her almond eyes. And with a little uncontrolled trace of startle, Dende nodded hastily and raised his cup a bit, as Ana got up from her chair and tenderly grabbed the teapot from the table. At that very moment Dende caught a look from her eye, meeting it with his own. Yet he just couldn't smile back - not even with his eyes, that lowened their sight right away, like there would've been something to be afraid of.

"You know, you don't really have to do this all," he whispered then, trying to hide his face to the fragile shadow of his puffy collar.

And within the next moment Ana's sight rose like a flash. Her expression cut the sleepy moment to half like a knife - and to Dende's horror-struck eye she seemed like something would've broken inside of her. _Did he just say something offensive?_

The tea from the pot spilled harshly on Dende's knees and made him bounce up from his chair.

And the horror-struck moment was gone - as Ana hastily grabbed the edge of her tunic and tried to wipe the tea out of the white cloth.

"Oh my ... I-I'm so sorry, mr. Dende I didn't mean to..!" she stuttered hastily with a startled little voice as she got to her knees trying desparetly to apologize at the same time as she was trying to get the tea out of her master's white robe.

But on Dende's face there was only traces of surprise as he tried to back away, but he couldn't.

Not because of Ana's grab from his robe, but because of his bothered little feeling, that made him grab hold of Ana's fragile little hand.

And Ana's startled sight slowly rose. Swept it's way to Dende's eyes, that were full of hidden warmth, insecurity - yet smile.

"It's OK, Ana, don't worry about it," he said with a calm tone of voice, holding her hand with the lightest of touches.

Hiding his insecurity, he helped Ana to stand up again, following her eyes as they rose to his level with a surprised look deep within them.

"I'm so sorry if I offended you somehow," he continued right away, loosing his expression to the shadow of his collar that hid his mouth, his smile.

But Ana just smiled back, closing her deep, almond eyes to a perky, tender expression that reflected the strings of the sun, the light that was facing her. And for a short while, she let her hands rest on Dende's warm palms, getting him to blush a little as he realized his touch. And then - the moment was gone. Dende just followed how she collected the cups on the table and said with a smiling little voice:

"So that you know, mr. Dende, I like to do this. It's no problem for me."

Dende slowly nodded to her, thinking about was it the right thing for him to do or not. He collected his wooden staff from the reflecting garden floor and took a little smile on his lips again. His atennas stirred lightly as he moved his head and said with the warmest of all voices:

"You don't have to call me mr. Dende. I'm just -- Dende."

_And for the first time - their smiles met each other._


	2. I don't wanna talk about it

**My innocence**

**Part II : I don't wanna talk about it**

Piccolo paid a visit to Dende's lookout the very next day. He was a usual guest to the place, as he had once guarded it himself. And he was close to a father figure for Dende, in whose eyes Piccolo was everything he himself was not. Piccolo was strong, stable and calm like the skies that surrounded the lookout - he was everything Dende was not, everything that Dende had ever wanted to be, and seemed like that was the reason for Piccolo to look after him. Dende was as child to him - and seemed like that fact wasn't about to change any time soon.

Dende felt the sight in his back, but somehow he just didn't care to look back as he was standing in front of a window of his lookout, letting the fragile string of light touch his green face - his eyes, that were following the movement outside, as mr. Popo and Ana took care of his garden - even though it had never been such a big deal to him. Though, he had heard that Kami - Piccolo's blood brother, half of his soul, had loved it when he had been alive. And that was enough reason to keep it alive, Dende thought.

He blinked his eyes and stepped closer to the thin, reflecting glass. With a little smile he followed how Ana kneeled down to touch the fragile leaves of a blooming rose, like it would've been the most precious thing in all excistense. So tender she was - loving like mother.

And all the sudden she turned her eyes towards the window that reflected Dende's light silhouette. The sudden move made Dende startle, and a little blush stroke his green cheeks - but luckily Ana couldn't see that. Yet Dende could see her smile - wave her hand with a warm gesture, that proposed Dende's hand to answer it - and so it did, even that he didn't really realize it before he had done it.

"Dende," he could hear Piccolo mutter all the sudden from the shadow of the central room - and the sound of his serious voice made Dende stand back from the window with alarmed feet.

He turned his sight hastily over his shoulder and blinked with a little confusion on his face. And Piccolo answered his sight with no expression. He just stood silent, strong, with his strong arms crossed across his chest. And for Dende, it seemed like there was something in Piccolo that was more worried than angry with him. But he didn't know if it was any better, since he didn't really want to fail his job as a guardian of Earth - especially not in Piccolo's eyes. _Not in his_.

"Who's she?" Piccolo asked then, with a voice so strict, that it made Dende grow a little nervous, as he hastily turned his sight to follow Piccolo's path to Ana.

It took a little moment for Dende to answer him. But he didn't do it right away, as he just let his sight follow the slow movement outside.

"She is Ana, a former kai, I think. She came hear to work for our help," he said slowly, turning his sight back to Piccolo's face.

And Dende could see how he furrowed his brow and let his sight stay in the glass for a short, silent while.

"So she seems to be," Dende heard him mutter silently - mainly to his own self.

And that very tone in his voice, the very look in his eyes made Dende grow nervous. He juggled his sight between Ana behind the window glass and Piccolo, who closed his eyes with thoughts that didn't glow trough his face at all. Dende gathered his courage and asked him:

"What about it? I-is it wrong?"

And in his eyes, Piccolo could see a little apologizing, nervous shade. But still he didn't care to smile at him, since his eyes were filled with a little concern as well. And he looked like he was pushing his toughts together, before he cared to even look at his young tribe brother. And Dende felt like the moment, the striking gaze of his eye lasted forever before he said:

"No, Dende. I didn't mean in that way. It's just that -," he begun, but grew silent all the sudden as his sight bounced to the main door.

_Ana._

Her elegant hand lightly touched the door. And apparently, she hadn't heard any of the words spoken in that room, since there was still a gentle smile on her pale lips, as she stepped to the shadow of the room. She did a little, polite bow to Piccolo to begin with, but there was nothing in Piccolo, no expression, nor gesture that would've answered her rather attentive gesture. But seemed like she didn't care much, as she just turned towards Dende. She was holding one of his white robes - the very one that had had tea spilled all over it. And now it was clean - white like a dove's feather, like a cloud.

"I'm sorry interrupt like this, but you asked me to bright this to you earlier, Mr.Dende," she said with a soft, silent voice - that was like a dance in a way.

Dende's face grew surprised - though there wasn't too many reasons for that. He gethered his thoughts for a moment and let his voice shiver a bit as he said:

"I -- I told you don't have to call me -," he began, but Piccolo's sour sight made him shut his mouth, and hit his sight towards the floor.

"Just leave it. I'll get it later," Dende added right away, feeling as he would've been rude, as he didn't even look Ana in the eye during his words.

Yet Piccolo seemed somewhat satishfied. And was the main goal - at least Dende liked to think so, as he escaped with his sight, that turned back to Ana, as she just smiled as an answer, nodding, and left the robe on the cold stone throne, leaving the room with closed eyes, beeing followed by more sights than just one.

And as her shadow disappeared to the light Piccolo turned back towards Dende and said to him:

"You two shoudn't grow too close."

And those words hit Dende's pointy ears like a sound of the loudest hammer, like a needle, and he turned his head hastily towards Piccolo with a pinkish blush on his cheeks. He hesitated for a moment - as he didn't know how to dress his thought into words that got stuck into his throat. And he didn't dare to move his eyes from the face of his tribe brother - so sour, searious, and yet concenred it was.

"W-what do you mean? Why not?" Dende asked hastily, with nervous, embarrased little voice that got stuck to the edges of his words.

Piccolo didn't answer right away. He just uncrossed his arms slowly, and stepped closer, touching Dende's fragile shoulders with his cold hands, making him tremble a bit, like there was something be feared from the former guardian, who was just worried about his follower, his heir, Dende - and wha was to become with his values, his position in the minds of people of this very world.

"I don't know much about this thing called love on this planet," he begun with a searious voice, keeping Dende's sight within his own, like it was something he had to do - for the young namekian's own good, yet Dende couldn't realize it.

"But I know it when it meets my eye, Dende. And as your kind, I shall say that love is not meant to creatures like us," he continued, turning Dende towards the glass like a piece of the finest of all a papars - like a fragile, weak thing with no power, no will.

_And Dende looked_. Looked outside meeting Ana's figure, her glowing eyes, that looked above - to the sky with a curious way that would've made him smile if two cold hand wouldn't have ben pressing his shoulders making the situation rather uncconfortable, but there was only one way to undertand it. Piccolo had always been good to him - he had ways been right. So for Dende, there was a lesson to be learned from him - at least so he thought.

"And as Earth's guardian, your only love shall be for this planet," he heard Piccolo say, as the touch of his hand grew distant.

And he left the room with those words, with his cape touching lightly Dende's shoulders, that lost their bearing as a darker thought took over his head. And then he just looked at his feet within the hold of his lonely moment of silence. The moment of his thoughts, that made him raise his hand towards the glass as Piccolo crossed the view with his steps. Ans as Piccolo vanished to the hold of the sky, Dende's sight turned to his clean robe on the cold stone throne. The thing that reflected the distance - the fact how close he would _ever_ be to the touch he would like to feel the most.


End file.
